DEE SNIDER RECOUNTS MEETING BOTH BILLY JOEL AND RITCHIE BLACKMORE AT A PARTY, ONE WAS COOL AND THE OTHER…WELL…GUESS WHICH ONE WAS WHICH?
Ruben Mosqueda for KNAC.com spoke with Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, some excerpts from the interview appear below.
KNAC.com: You have a new album/Blu Ray that has a great balance of Twisted [Sister] and solo stuff. It’s titled For The Love of Metal Live.
Dee Snider: That’s right. My management thinks I’m Nostradamus or something because back in 2019, I told them that I wouldn’t be doing any shows in 2020 [laughs] and that I would release a live album [laughs]. So now they’re looking at me and asking, ”What do you see for the stock market, Dee”? [laughs] Since I wasn’t planning on doing any shows this year, we filmed last year’s concerts. We’re going from ‘A’ to ‘B’ with this record. We know what I did before For The Love of Metal and this live album and concert helps connect the dots when you hear it all played together. In all fairness, it is detuned. I also chose a lot of the songs that showed off Twisted’s “metal” side.
When we started, people now know because they’ve seen our documentary We Are Twisted F–king Sister! The band had been together since 1973, by the early 80s when we were touring with Metallcia, [Iron] Maiden, Saxon, Motöhead…it wasn’t called “hair metal” it was just “metal”. No one thought anything about Twisted playing with Metallica. No one thought that it was strange, no one thought that Iron Maiden and Twisted playing together was strange, it was just a “metal” show. It wasn’t until the late 80s that it was branded as “hair metal.” Suddenly, there were a lot of these bands shown smiling and stuff. Then it was “happy metal,” it was “happy metal” [laughs.] That’s when the change happened. Twisted had a very “metallic” side. On For The Love of Metal Live I’m showing off my past and my present on this one.
KNAC.com What is your favorite social media platform and why?
Dee Snider: The one that I’m most active on is Twitter. It was my first one, I’m also on Facebook and Instagram and I have a loyal following on those too. Twitter would be my favorite I think, because it just has this ease of use. It’s also got this immediacy of reaction. I liken it to back in the day when you were on the radio and you talked about something and you reacted, so the phones would light up. It’s that immediacy of something that you said and it connected with people. I see a lot of that on Twitter, there’s responses, there’s likes and there’s shares. I use Twitter as a rule, though I often wonder what I’m missing out on by not being as active on some of the other platforms.
KNAC.com: Who was the first celebrity that you ever met? What did you take from that encounter that helped you in engaging your fans down the road?
Dee Snider: Wow, what an interesting question. It had a “massive” effect on me, just “massive.” Billy Joel. It was before Twisted made it, we were this local phenomenon, but Billy Joel was Billy Joel. It was at a party, I remember Ritchie Blackmore was there too. Ritchie Blackmore was so weird, standoffish, odd, he wouldn’t look you in the eye, he was mumbly, he shook your hand like it was a wet fish. I wasn’t famous then. Billy Joel was gracious, self deprecating and open. I remember there was one of the radio stations in New York City that was having a “subway campaign.” I took one of the posters and brought it to the party because I knew he would be there. I presented it to him to sign, he looked at it and said, ”I’m surprised somebody didn’t draw a mustache on this”? [laughs] I said, “What”?! He said, ”Oh, I would have definitely have drawn a mustache on this.” [laughs] He changed me that day. I said to myself, ”This is how I want to be around fans”. When he walked away the general consensus was “Wow! What a cool guy.” It was a huge contrast from when Blackmore walked away and everyone was like, ”Wow! What a diiiiiiiiick.” I knew what I wanted people to say when I walked away—what a cool guy. That experience changed me forever.
Read more at KNAC.com.
See I Am The Hurricane from, For The Love of Metal Live, here.
To read more about For The Love Of Metal Live, view the track list and configurations, plus see a video for Prove Me Wrong, please click here.
My favorite Billy Joel song? “Sometimes A Fantasy,” from my favorite Billy Joel album – Glass Houses. My favorite Twisted Sister song? I don’t have one, not anymore. That’s “The Price” you pay (losing half of your fans) when you run your mouth off.
Yeah cause that’s what happened. I’m assuming this political and someone is a little bent at someone else for speaking the truth. Sorry. Deal with it. The fan base is better off without a thin-skinned lemming like you anyway. Makes me feel a little better you aren’t a fan anymore. But you weren’t really one to begin with.
To stay somewhat on topic; “Vienna” and “Like a Knife in the Back.”
I would prefer to keep the site, and the comments section, politics free.
Additionally, please refrain from assuming what is truth, and what is fiction, that is all a matter of opinion, and everyone has one.
Thank you for your understanding,
Dana, Chief Music Editor and Moderator
Not that I am defending Snider, but, it’s not like Joel, hasn’t made comments, either.
I have always subscribed to the notion that politics should be left out of all forms of entertainment and sports.
People seek those arenas as an escape from the complexities of life, they don’t need those complications sliding their way into those domains.
Also, I cannot stand to be lectured by priggish artists whom I pay to entertain me, if I wanted a guilt trip, I have a mother for that-LOL! Thank God, I am not a U2 fan-LOL!
D 🙂
Awww, what’s a matter Bobby boy, did I strike a nerve? First of all, Dee wasn’t speaking the truth, and neither are you! I was a fan, a big fan, you have no idea, who are you to judge? I have every right to my opinion and feel the way I do, so deal with that!
100% agree, Dana. Keep politics out of both this site and other forms of entertainment.
BTW, my favorite TS song is “What You Don’t Know…” off the Ruff Cutts E.P.
The only Twisted Sister song I really like is Shoot’Em Down and I don’t like any Billy Joel songs-LOL!
Honestly, the first TS song I ever heard was “Shoot ‘Em Down” on WAPP – The Apple! Went out and bought the WAPP album, and that was also the first time I ever heard Bon Jovi ~ “Runaway.” Imagine that, Twisted Sister and Bon Jovi on the same album! 😉 “We’re Gonna Make It” was my favorite TS song, eh, still is.
Dana, you don’t like any Billy Joel songs??? Are you an “Uptight”, er, “Uptown Girl”? :o)
Just not a fan, but I love Chris Isaak, go figure. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
PS-I do live in Uptown Manhattan…
Surprised – Billy Joel (who I think is a phenomenal artist/performer) has had his dick moments as well.
Then again, Dee is more abrasive than a Brillo pad.
Ritchie and his creepy mustache topped with a pilgrim hat have now gone on to a career playing in a band with Hobbits.
My apologies Dana if I add to this thread, but I just wanted to say that I too am disappointed by all the virtue signaling going on in all forms of media. I no longer will watch any sports, (was only a casual fan anyway) and have become more selective in what I purchase. Yes, I wish politics didn’t have to be involved in every single aspect of life, especially from people who seemed to promote freedom of will and thinking for yourself.
That said I seem to agree with some of what Doug R. posts and kudos to him for sticking by what he believes.
Lastly, I ‘m a Billy Joel fan and have been since I first heard my older sister’s records of him, and of course he was always on the radio some 40 years ago. Favorite song? Would have to be between Scenes From an Italian Restaurant, The Ballad of Billy the Kid, Captain Jack, Allentown , and others. Told you I was a fan. Cheers.
Rob,
That’s fine, and I completely agree with what you wrote.
D 🙂
I hear you, Rob. I stopped watching Nascar several weeks ago, and will never watch it again. After being a fan for many years, really enjoyed the sport, but when they decided to get political, they ruined it, for me, and many others. Now I could care less about football and basketball, never was a fan of either anyway, but if baseball and hockey follow Nascar and decide to get political as well, I won’t watch them anymore either. That would suck, because I have always loved baseball and hockey, but my philosophy is, sports are sports, and politics are politics, with the exception of 9/11, there is no reason for politics to ever be a part of sports. BTW, I also love “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant!” 😉 “Keeping The Faith” is another one of my Joel faves, really love that song. Cheers, Rob, have a good one.
Never heard that story B4. I like Dee. Outspokenness never bothered me U know where U stand w/those people. Not a big TS fan but I really liked Widowmaker. Billy & Richie are Icons. Perhaps he just felt uncomfortable. Might’ve thought Dee was an ugly girl…. at that time period .